Get a taste of the poetry going on all over town by visiting the Poetry GSO website. Hear a little bit of the headliners and a some of our own homegrown talent. If you haven't checked out one of the 60 EVENTS going on this month, you can hear what you are missing with live recordings of Coleman Barks, Glenis Redmon, Amaris Howard and more.

Poetry is alive in GSO. The kick off to the Poetry GSO festival was held at The Depot last Friday afternoon. Saturday evening at the Green Bean, another successful Poetry Jazz and Java was held. This eclectic event sponsored by the Writer's Group of the Triad brings together music, poets and storytellers from all over the Triad. To call this event simply a "Poetry Reading" does not do it justice. The richness of the craft is shown off in the variety of presentations that come under the heading of poetry. Towards the end of the night, Hal Sieber read some his own poetry, introduced a young poet whose work he admired, and acknowledged his own upcoming birthday with a story about his childhood. On Sunday, Greensboro was given the treat of hearing Coleman Barks share the poetry of Rumi and his own works accompanied by the music of harp and cello.

As part of PoetryGSO 2006, North Carolina A&T State University’s Creative Writing program and the Greensboro Public Library are co- sponsoring a reading titled “Poets Speak Out for Peace*.” Submissions are currently being accepted from a wide range of perspectives including, but not limited to poems on:

The concept of peace

The conditions and consequences of a negative state of peace

The consequences of war and a hope for peace

The possibility for peace in our time

Nonviolent action for change/for peace

Peace from a veteran’s perspective

Preparations for peace

Submissions can include original, published, and/or favorite poems. The deadline for submissions is March 31. Interested reader should contact Dr. Anjail R. Ahmad, director of the creative writing program at NCATSU at (336) 334-7771 x2370 or arahmad@ncat.edu for more information.

The reading will be held on April 13, 2006 at 7:00 pm on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in the New Classroom Building Auditorium, A-218, on the second floor (parking is plentiful for this location). This event will be free and open to the public.

*This event follows on the heels of our success with Poets Writing in a Time of War 2005. PWTW was selected as one of the top ten significant events in 2005 to make a difference in the Triad by “The Greensboro News and Record: Go Triad.”

The NCAT Creative Writing Program and Girls Inc. of Guilford County have teamed up during Women’s History Month to host a benefit to raise funds for the New Choices program of the Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro. This creative extravaganza celebrating the lives of Greensboro’s diverse women and the work of the Women’s Resource Center. The Center is an organization that serves women across racial, social and economic boundaries. The New Choices program supports women in acquiring skills and readiness for the job market fulfilling a real need in our community.

This celebration of women’s accomplishments/women’s lives draws on the talents of women from across the diverse segments of the Greensboro community.

This evening of women’s Heart-inspired, magic promises to uplift and empower…!

This celebration of Women’s March Magic is assured to raise the profile of A&T’s efforts to uplift and empower women throughout the Greensboro community showcasing Greensboro as a city which takes its diversity to heart.

When & Where:

March 21, 2005 at 7:00 pm on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in the New Classroom BuildingBenbow Road at Sullivan, parking lot G-1

Auditorium, A-218, on the second floor (parking is plentiful for this location) as well as in the Aggie stadium lot across the street.

All spoken word artists, conscious rappers and lovers of hip hop....this is your time to shine. The Voiceness and The R-sonist are currently seeking submissions for the Jus Blaze radio show being broadcast on North Carolina A&T State University's station. Just know that we are setting the pace in the Middle East. We need you! All of my southern poets represent!! All of my concious rappers--represent. We are bringing the best of the best and doing it with flavor. To be a part of this movement submit your MP3's to jusblaze@thevoiceness.com with the subject line entitled "Jus Blaze Radio Submissions" or you can send CD's to the following address: Donalja James North Carolina A&T State University 1601 E Market Street Bluford Library-ATL Greensboro, NC 27411

We are also seeking additional radio guests. If you would like to be a special radio guest, submit your bio along with samples of your work. We are looking to make it happen in the '06. This is straight official. Know that the streets are watchin and the Piedmont wants to hear YOU! Check out the website at

Luiz Rodriguez will be coming to the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro on April 9, 2006, 3 pm. Luis Rodriguez is convinced that a writer can change the world. It is through education & the power of words that Rodriguez saw his own way out of the barrio of East L.A. & successfully broke free from the years of violence & desperation he spent as an active gang member. Achieving success as an award-winning Chicano poet, he was sure the streets would haunt him no more — until his young son joined a gang himself. Rodriguez fought for his child by telling his own story in the bestseller Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A., a vivid memoir that explores the motivation of gang life & cautions against the death & destruction that inevitably claim its participants. Rodriguez addresses the complex but vital issues of race, class, gender, & personal rage through dialogue, story, poetry, & art.

Very Bad Poetry edited by Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras

I once read a magazine article on encouraging children to read that stated, "How can children know what constitutes a good book, if they've never read a bad book?". The article basically said that we should encourage children to read. They might become fixated on individual books or series that aren't of great literary merit, but eventually they would tire of these and want to read "a good book".

I think the same principles apply to adult reading. If you think that you don't know much about poetry, or don't like "good poetry", read some bad poetry. This book contains some real stinkers. For example, the following quote from Ode on the Mammoth Cheese(weighing over 7,000 pounds) smells worse than limberger:

Cows numerous as a swarm of bees, or as the leaves upon the trees.It did require to make thee please,And stand unrivalled, queen of cheese.May you not receive a scar asWe have heard that Mr. HarrisIntends to send you off as far asThe great world's show at Paris.

So if you think that you don't like or appreciate poetry, read some really bad poetry, you may know more than you think. (Carole Campbell Brown, Central Library)

On Tuesday night, the Glenwood Branch held its “Passport to Poetry: International Poetry Night” program. And we had an absolute blast! Fifty people attended the event and we had approximately 20 people sign-up to read poetry by writers from all over the world. Attendees heard poetry in Croatian, Spanish, English, Vietnamese, Chinese as well as poetry by writers from every corner of the globe. A few highlights:

1) A woman named Shyamalee Murugesu who is from Sri Lanka and visiting only for one week came to share her poem. She wrote the poem in recognition of the Native American struggle for identity and freedom in the United States.
2) For those participants who came without a poem, we entice them by posting poetry (in English translation) on colorful sheets around the room. People could pick a poem to read. An older woman read a poem, called “Rain” and dedicated it to her husband. It literally brought him to tears!
3) Graciela Kellar, a GW staffer did a SLAMMIN’ rendition of one her favorite poems in Spanish.
4) Martha Robinson, another GW staffer, WORKED a bilingual poem called “Why Do Men Wear Earrings on One Ear” by Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.
5) Newlywed Dheval Gosai (brother-in-law of GW staffer Sonal) read a poem in honor of his wife who is currently living in India.
6) A woman (whose name escapes me) was oh so nervous but made it through two poems and later remarked that she was thrilled to have participated in the event…despite her nerves about getting up in front of an audience.
7) Our two door prizes (international poetry anthologies) went to a teenager from the Glenwood neighborhood named Ricardo Johnson III and Kathy Hinshaw (a former ESOL learner from Peru, whose mother is a poet).

I could go on. But I won’t. Still, I just wanted to send a “shout out,” “mad props,” and MANY THANKS to all the GW staff members and AmeriCorps Members who helped to make this program such a success. You all ROCK! Thanks for a perfect, poetical night!